PREMIER DIVISION
1) BRANTHAM ATHLETIC
2) ELY CITY
3) FAKENHAM TOWN
4) HADLEIGH UNITED
5) HARLESTON TOWN (Promoted from First Division North - Play-Off Winners)
6) HAVERHILL ROVERS
7) IPSWICH WANDERERS (Promoted from First Division South - Champions)
8) KIRKLEY & PAKEFIELD
9) LAKENHEATH
10) LONG MELFORD (Reprieved from relegation)
11) MILDENHALL TOWN
12) MULBARTON WANDERERS
13) NEWMARKET TOWN
14) NORWICH UNITED
15) SHERINGHAM (Promoted from First Division North - Champions)
16) SOHAM TOWN RANGERS (Relegated from Isthmian North Division)
17) THETFORD TOWN
18) WALSHAM-LE-WILLOWS
19) WHITTON UNITED
20) WOODBRIDGE TOWN
Soham Town Rangers return to the Eastern Counties League they left as Champions in 2008 to play at Step Four in the Southern League Division One Midlands for two seasons, Division One Central for one season, the Isthmian North Division for ten seasons and last season in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands. From the 2007/08 season only Kirkley & Pakefield, Mildenhall Town, Haverhill Rovers, Norwich United, Walsham-Le-Willows, Woodbridge Town, Newmarket Town and Ipswich Wanderers are the same teams so it's a much changed division with teams like Lowestoft Town, Wroxham, Dereham Town, Wisbech Town and Leiston all moving up the pyramid to name a few.
Sheringham will play at Step Five for the first time in their history - The Shannocks have made a rapid ascent through the non-league pyramid in the last few years being promoted from the Anglian Combination Division One as runner's up in 17/18, being Champions of the Premier Division in 18/19 and winning The Thurlow Nunn First Division South last season.
They are joined by First Division North runner's up Harleston Town who will also play at Step Five for the first time in their history. They came second in the First Division North of 2018/19 but were relegated due to ground grading issued with their Wilderness Lane home. Happily the club will now take it's place in the Premier Division after a two year stay in the Anglian Combination in the two curtailed seasons - They had finished 3rd, 3rd, 2nd and 1st in the Anglian Premier Division prior to 18/19.
Ipswich Wanderers re-join the Premier Division they left in 2017/18 after pipping Buckhurst Hill to the First Division South title. Matt Blake (35 in 39) and Teon Leggett (29 in 40) scored an amazing amount of goals in league and cup games. They will be a strong side in the Premier Division for 22/23.
FIRST DIVISION NORTH
1) AFC SUDBURY RESERVES - Lateral move from First Division South
2) CORNARD UNITED - Lateral move from First Division South
3) DEBENHAM LC
4) DISS TOWN
5) DOWNHAM TOWN
6) FC PARSON DROVE - Reprieved from relegation
7) FRAMLINGHAM TOWN
8) GREAT YARMOUTH TOWN
9) HAVERHILL BOROUGH - Lateral move from First Division South#
10) HEACHAM - Promoted from Anglian Premier - Champions
11) HOLBEACH UNITED - Relegated from United Counties League Prem North
12) HUNTINGDON TOWN
13) LEISTON RESERVES
14) NEEDHAM MARKET u23
15) NORCWICH CBS
16) SWAFFHAM TOWN - Relegated from Premier Division
17) UEA FC
18) WHITTLESEY ATHLETIC
# denotes also reprieved from relegation as finished second from bottom in their table like FC Parson Drove.
I've described Sheringham as having a "rapid ascent" through the non-league pyramid in the past few seasons so will have to describe Heacham FC's rise as a "high-speed whirlwind" through the Anglian Combination since the 16/17 season. There league record is shown below which shows what an incredible story they have - Could The Magpies make it an eighth successive promotion in 2023?
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15/16 - North West Norfolk Division One - 1st place
16/17 - Anglian Division Five (North) - 2nd place - Step 12
17/18 - Anglian Division Four- 3rd place - Step 11
18/19 - Anglian Division Three - 1st - Step 10
19/20 - Anglian Division Two - 1st - Step 9 *
20/21 - Anglian Division One - 1st - Step 8 *
20/21 - Anglian Premier Division - 1st - Step 7
* denotes curtailed seasons
Three teams move over from the First Division South in AFC Sudbury Reserves (14th) Cornard United (18th) and Haverhill Borough (19th).
Swaffham Town have been a bit of a 'yo-yo' club of late having won the First Division (North) in 18/19 after relegation from the Premier in 17/18. They return to Step Six after a forgettable season in 21/22 where they only won 3 of 38 league games.
Holbeach United last played in the Eastern Counties League in 1961/62 having played in the United Counties League since - they finished bottom of the Premier Division North without a win in 21/22. The Tigers won the UCL Premier in 12/13 and 4th in 2015, 2016 and 2018.
FIRST DIVISION SOUTH
1) BARKINGSDIE
2) BASILDON TOWN - Promoted from Essex Olympian Premier - Runner's Up
3) BENFLEET
4) BURNHAM RAMBLERS
5) CANNONS WOOD - Promoted from Essex Alliance Senior Division - Champions
6) COGGESHALL UNITED
7) ENFIELD BOROUGH
8) FRENFORD
9) HACKNEY WICK
10) HARWICH & PARKESTON
11) HOLLAND
12) MAY & BAKER
13) NEWBURY FOREST
14) NW LONDON - Promoted from Middlesex County Premier - Champions
15) PARK VIEW
16) ST MARGARESTSBURY - Relegated from Essex Senior League
17) SPORTING BENGAL - Relegated from Essex Senior League
18) STANWAY PEGASUS - Promoted from Essex & Suffolk Premier - Champions
19) TOWER HAMLETS - Relegated from Southern Counties East Premier
20) WIVENHOE TOWN
21) WORMLEY ROVERS
The First Division South is likely to be a very strong division with Cannons Wood joining who are Essex Alliance Champions and could also win the Fenton Cup and Senior Division Cup in the next few weeks as I wrote about yesterday.
NW London and Stanway Pegasus are also likely to be strong teams. NW London won the Middlesex County Premier Division along with The Anagram Records Trophy and the Middlesex FA Intermediate Cup.
Pegasus ran away with the Essex and Suffolk Border League Premier Division title winning 32, drawing 2 and losing no games in their league campaign with their nearest challenger's West Bergholt 24 points behind them. They also collected the Essex and Suffolk Border League Knockout Trophy as well. An incredible achievement for Rosi Webb and her team.
Also promoted are Basildon Town who came runner's up in the EOFL Premier and will be ground sharing with East Thurrock United. Town have been members of the EOFL for over four decades and have climbed up from playing in Division Three as recently as 2012/13.
St Margaretsbury and Sporting Bengal United drop out of the Essex Senior League along with Tower Hamlets from the Southern Counties East Premier.
Hamlets have been sharing with Phoenix Sports since 2020 hence the move from the ESL - I'm not sure where they will be playing in the 22/23 season but a move back to North of the River based league seems to indicate a move closer to home hopefully.
LEAVING THE THURLOW NUNN LEAGUE
From the Premier Division Gorleston and Wroxham both move up to the Isthmian League North Division with March Town United being transferred laterally to the United Counties League Premier South.
From the First Division North Wisbech St Mary are relegated and will I think play in the Peterborough and District League along with Peterborough North End Sports who despite finishing in mid-table have opted to return the Peterborough & District League.
Brimsdown, who finished bottom of the First Division South, will be playing at Step Seven for the 2022/23 season.
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